By Ananya Sharma 
New Delhi, February 20: For a summit built around algorithms, machine learning models and the future of artificial intelligence, Thursday’s loudest moment had nothing to do with code. It came from a group of young men pulling their shirts over their heads inside Bharat Mandapam and shouting at the top of their lungs.
The AI Impact Summit, held in Hall No. 5 of the sprawling convention complex, was briefly disrupted when members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a shirtless protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Within minutes, security personnel stepped in. The Delhi Police detained four to five protesters. By late afternoon, legal action was said to be underway.
The summit continued. The politics did not.
A Scene That Broke The Script
Those inside the hall say the interruption was sudden but not chaotic. The Youth Congress workers removed their shirts, held them up, and began raising slogans, including “PM is compromised.” Some accused the government of trading away India’s national identity through its technology and trade policies.
They had come prepared. T-shirts carried images of Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, alongside phrases like “India-US Trade Deal” and references to the “Epstein Files.” The suggestion was unmistakable. The opposition wanted to paint the government’s global technology outreach as suspect.
For a venue that has come to symbolise India’s international positioning since the G20 Presidency in 2023, the optics were striking. Bharat Mandapam is designed for choreography: flags aligned, lighting precise, speeches timed. A shirtless protest cuts through that polish.
According to visuals aired by India Today, security personnel moved quickly, forming a ring around the protesters before escorting them out. There was no reported violence. Delegates appeared startled, some filming the moment on their phones.
Then, almost as abruptly as it began, it was over.
The Congress Position
If the method drew attention, the message was familiar.
Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib defended the action soon after. As reported by Babushahi, he described Youth Congress members as “Rahul Gandhi’s soldiers,” arguing that they were voicing the anger of unemployed youth who feel sidelined by headline-grabbing summits and global deals.
Chib framed the protest as part of a broader resistance against what the Congress sees as constitutional erosion and economic exclusion. The language was combative, but the political calculation is clear. Tie artificial intelligence to unemployment. Tie global partnerships to sovereignty concerns. Force the debate out of conference halls and into living rooms.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the summit, reportedly calling it a disorganised public relations exercise and raising concerns about Indian data being “sold.” There is no official documentation from the summit that supports that specific allegation. Still, in opposition politics, perception often matters as much as paperwork.
The Congress has been attempting to sharpen its attack on issues of data privacy and economic opportunity. Artificial intelligence provides fertile ground. It is futuristic enough to spark anxiety and complex enough to invite suspicion.
The BJP Response
The BJP did not soften its reply.
Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned the protest, calling it anti-India and accusing the Congress of embarrassing the country during an international event. According to Babushahi, he described the act in scathing terms and questioned the opposition’s intent.
For the ruling party, the AI summit is part of a larger narrative. India is a technology leader. India is a rule-shaper, not a rule-taker. India is attracting investment, building domestic capability, and competing with global powers on emerging technologies.
From that perspective, a protest inside the venue is not just dissent. It is seen as a sabotage of national positioning.
Yet the BJP also understands that youth unemployment remains a sensitive issue. The government has consistently argued that technology and innovation will generate new opportunities. The opposition counters that automation may shrink traditional job pathways before new ones are ready.
Between those claims lies a genuine policy debate, even if it is now wrapped in slogans.
Why AI Is Politically Charged
Artificial intelligence is no longer a niche policy topic. It touches hiring systems, digital payments, agriculture analytics, health diagnostics, and governance tools. India, with its vast digital public infrastructure, has both an opportunity and a vulnerability.
Data flows matter. Trade agreements matter. Partnerships with countries like the United States matter.
So do questions about who owns data, who profits from it, and who protects it.
The Youth Congress protest tried to collapse all of that into a single, provocative image. Shirts off. Slogans loud. Accusations blunt.
It is theatre, yes. But political theatre often reveals underlying tension. Young voters are impatient. Many are educated, digitally aware, and still struggling to find stable employment. When the government hosts a summit celebrating AI breakthroughs, the contrast can be sharp.
The Congress is betting that contrast works in its favour.
Security And Aftermath
Security at Bharat Mandapam is typically layered, especially during high-profile events. The fact that protesters managed to disrupt proceedings, even briefly, will likely prompt a review.
Police have not yet publicly detailed the specific charges the detained individuals may face. Standard provisions related to disturbance of public order are commonly applied in such situations, though officials have not confirmed sections as of Thursday evening.
Inside the venue, the summit resumed with panels and speeches. Outside, cameras waited for reactions.
There is something distinctly modern about this kind of political clash. A few minutes of disruption become hours of debate on television and social media. The clip circulates faster than the keynote address that preceded it.
A Familiar Pattern In A New Setting
Youth wings across parties have long relied on dramatic gestures. Campus protests, street blockades, slogan marches. Indian politics has never been short on spectacle.
What felt different here was the setting. An AI summit is meant to project calm competence and forward-looking ambition. It is not a rally ground. By choosing that stage, the Youth Congress ensured that the protest would not be dismissed as routine.
Whether voters see it as courageous or crass is another question.
For the BJP, the task will be to keep the focus on policy and progress. For the Congress, the goal is to keep the focus on doubt and discontent.
The truth, as usual, lies somewhere between performance and principle.
As of Thursday night, no further developments had been reported following the detentions. The legal process will unfold quietly. The summit will conclude with statements about innovation and cooperation.
But the image of that brief interruption will linger.
In a hall built to discuss machines that learn and systems that predict the future, it was raw human anger that seized the moment.
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- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
